Essential Travel Gear I Actually Use: Amazon Favorites for Easy Travel
Updated April 2026
When it comes to traveling, it is important to have the right gear to make your travel easier and less stressful. Over the years, I have tested these items and have narrowed down items I use on almost every trip. From comfortable footwear like Birkenstocks and Teva sandals, to practical must-haves like silicone wedding bands, pop-up tents, hammocks, inflatable kayaks, and quick-dry beach towels, these Amazon favorites have made my traveling easier, more comfortable, and a lot of fun. I will be sharing items that I have personally used either on my cross-country campervan travels to the mountains or the beach or as I travel overseas to London or Shanghai.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The reviews of the items in this article are based on my own opinions, and I only recommend products, tours, or accommodations that I have personally used or would use during my own travels. Disclosure policy
Why Trust This List?
You can trust that this list of items is essential to your travel as I have personally used these items and would recommend them to anyone. These are not “Instagram favorites”, these are items I actually use on road trips, beach days, and international travel.
Favorite Travel Shoes
I love to wear comfortable shoes while traveling and especially when hiking. These items I use ALL the time. Now my idea of hiking shoes may not be everyone’s go to and it probably shouldn’t be, but I hike all the time in my Teva sandals. I insist you get yourself some Teva sandals for your next hiking (especially when hiking in water) trip. These brands last a long time and are very comfortable.
Comfortable shoes I always pack:
Birkenstocks
Birkenstock Arizona - perfect for everyday wear
Birkenstock EVA - I love these shoes for the beach or shower shoes while camping
Teva sandals - I wear these sandals all the time while camping or hiking. They are the perfect footwear for hikes that require you to walk through water.
Columbia water shoes - perfect water shoes for hiking along the beach.
My son wore these shoes when we went to the beach which gave him the opportunity to walk in the sand without worrying about stepping on anything sharp.
He used these shoes when we when hiking at this beach: Visiting Top Rated Beaches at Honeymoon and Caladesi Island State Parks
Chaco’s - are another pair of sandals that I used to wear often. They are similar to the Teva sandal, but I have switched exclusively to the Teva’s.
I wore these when I Hiked Devil’s Bridge Trail in Sedona, Arizona
Check out the following blog posts that have you hiking through water and you will see why the Teva sandals are perfect for these hikes.
Favorite Water and Adventure Gear
A super fun and easy way to have fun on the water while traveling is to grab an inflatable kayak. This easy to set up and take down kayak is the perfect travel gear for water adventures.
Inflatable Kayak - We have purchased two of these inflatable kayaks and I absolutely love them. They are so easy to inflate and they deflate quickly.
We used our inflatable kayaks while camping: Sunrise to Sunset: Beachfront Camping in Texas
Waterproof phone cover - put your phone in one of these pouches and you don’t have to worry about it getting wet. You can still use the phone features through the plastic.
Small Travel Gear Worth Packing
From small items like these silicone wedding bands to hiking shorts, each item is selected based on personal preference and years of experience. Grab these small items for your next trip.
Silicone wedding bands - these are perfect for camping or hiking or when you are traveling in an area where you want to keep valuables hidden. I wear these all the time while traveling and they fit snug and travel well.
Hiking shorts - stay comfortable with slip on shorts
Uno card game - whether sitting at a picnic table, flying in a plane, or the kids need an easy car game, Uno is the perfect quick game to pass the time.
Camping and Outdoor Must-Haves
Camping is something I have truly started to enjoy. We have camped many times in our campervan and have also camped in our tent. Due to these varying camping options, there are so many items I want to share with you to make your camping experience better. Bug spray ✔️pop up tent ✔️ generator ✔️campfire stove ✔️. I hope you find this list helpful and can grab a few new items to make your next camping trip easier.
This is a Bug Soother bug spray that we learned about when we lived in Iowa. It is manufactured in Iowa and is an all natural bug spray. This stuff works good and I recommend you use this product!
I love this clothes line. We use it often when we are camping and need to hang out our swim suits or clothes too dry. We can hang it between trees or off our van. It packs in its own little bag for convenience.
We have used this pop up tent several times on our travels. We have used it on the beach to change and used it in Cracker Barrel parking lot when we needed to rinse off before we went to bed. Although it takes a skill to fold it back into its bag, it is definitely worth the purchase.
Definitely can’t go camping without a hammock. This allows for peaceful resting while at a campsite resting while hiking and enjoying the views. You have to add this to your camping list!
Super small foldable camping chair is a convenient way to travel. This folds down into a small bag and could be easily carried on a backpack. It is amazingly strong enough for adults although shorter to the ground. We like ours so far. This is great to have at any camp site along your travels.
Carrying a backpack while trail walking is essential. This is one of the bags we carry. We also use a Fjallraven backpack for our travels. It includes a hydration water pack that we can use with water on the trail. We also take tissues, bandaids, water bag, lip balm, extra water, snacks and more in our bag. This is a must have item if hiking.
Shop Adopting Life’s Journey products for your new travel gear!
We love listening to music with our JBL speaker. The sound quality is great! And we can take it anywhere since it is rechargeable and connects with WiFi.
This WEN generator has been a life savor for us. Since we boondock most of the time, we need a place to charge our batteries to keep our lights on and our mini fridge working. This model is comparable to a Honda but is so much cheaper. This generator is also super quiet.
My favorite water bottle is the HydraPeak. The ice stays in this bottle for at least 24 hours unless we are in 100 degrees weather. The price for this water bottle is cheaper than other name brand bottles and works just as good.
This isn’t an item we have used often but when we did need them it was good to have. I recommend adding this rain poncho to your emergency stash.
This Coleman campfire stove is a must have when boondocking. We use this all the time when camping and have loved it. We cook multiple different meals and boil water for oatmeal. Check out this post for camping meal ideas.
We have two of these shower bags in our campervan and we have used them several times on our trips. They do hold quite a bit of water and have come in handy when we are full of sand and need to wash off before getting in the van. The only thing I don’t like is they are heavy when full of water so finding a spot to hang them has been a challenge. It also takes two hands to turn on and off the water flow so if you are holding it you cannot turn the water off. If you can hang it up then it is no problem. They are very useful despite that.
Travel Electronics for Long Distance Travel
Travel electronics can keep you busy on long flights, or the kids busy during long distance travel.
Amazon Kindle - if you love to read, you definitely need to grab one of these for long travel days.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 - the perfect pairing for music or airplanes to pass they time away. Plus, the AirPods Pros have a translation feature perfect for international travel where you might not speak the same language as the country you are visiting.
Portable white noise machine - such a tiny little device but produces good sound with multiple sound options to help put you to sleep.
Perfect items for long flights such as our trip to London. Learn more about our trip to London, UK with The Perfect Budget Friendly 5-Day Self-Guided Tour of London, England
Beach Essentials I Always Pack
Grab your favorite beach towels, drink, and head to the beach. Nothing makes my heart happier than to sit on the beach listening to the waves and eventually watching the sunset. Dreamy!! You will definitely need the perfect beach gear to make your day easy and stress free.
Beach towels - I love the quality of my Vera Bradley beach towels. They have minimal fading after years of use and are the perfect towel to sit on while at the beach.
RTIC 45qt hard sided cooler - We take our cooler every time we go to the beach so we can pack a lunch and drinks.
Some of the best beaches we like to visit in Florida: A Beachcomber’s Paradise at Sanibel Island and Seashells and Sunsets: Unwind at Pass-a-Grille Beach
Final Thoughts
Having the right travel gear will make your trip so much more enjoyable. You don’t have to stress as much knowing the gear you purchase through my links has been tried and recommended for you! So grab these essential travel items and plan your next trip with ease.
Enjoy the journey,
Jennifer
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